By Candlelight
by Sis21K
Summary: It's Christmas Eve, and Jack and Katherine are looking forward to a romantic night by candlelight.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi again fansies. I've been wanting to write some Jackrine, and since it's never too early to get excited for Christmas, this story was born. So obviously it's set a few years after Jack and Katherine get married. Also, they have a cute little three-year-old daughter, Bella. I know this is kind of short, but it should be a multi-chapter so don't worry. Enjoy!**

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><p>Jack looked around the small living room and smiled. He and Katherine had decorated it best they could for Christmas. They actually had a small tree this year, strung with popcorn. There were ribbons tacked to the wall. Candles of various sizes and colors sat around the room, not lit—yet. Jack went to the kitchen to get a match. When he came back, he found Katherine collapsed on the couch, gazing around.<p>

"Bella asleep?" he asked quietly.

"I think she's too excited to sleep. You shouldn't have told her about Santa Clause. She'll be up all night."

"Relax. I tell her about Santa every year. She just finally got it this year."

There was a yell from the apartment's single bedroom, which the small family of three shared. "Mama?"

Katherine started to get up, but Jack held up his hand. "Go to sleep, honey," he called. "The faster you get to sleep, the faster Santa comes!" Katherine rolled her eyes but sat back down..

Jack struck the match against the wall and lit one of the candles. He shook out the match and handed it to Katherine. "Go toss this. When you return…" he gestured widely at the living room. "…a wonderland."

Katherine scoffed, but gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and went out to the kitchen to throw away the match. Jack quickly used the first candle to light all the others. He finished just as Katherine came back.

"Wow, Jack…" she breathed. "It's…perfect."

"Now, for some Christmas snuggles," he said, putting an arm around her shoulder and leading her to the couch. "And don't even try to get outta this. We haven't had a Christmas Eve to ourselves since…ever. Bella's always been cryin' or something. This year we's gonna stay up til midnight and just…sit. All right?"

"Jack, I should really be…"

"Shh…" he put a finger on her lips. "Not a word. This is our night."

"That's what you said last weekend. And the Friday before. In fact, you say that every night, Jack," Katherine smirked.

"Hey, maybe every night is our night. Hmm?"

Katherine laughed softly and leaned her head on his shoulder. He gently kissed her hair and wrapped his arm around her. They sat like that for a long time, just staring at the candles and enjoying each other's company. This year was their third Christmas married. Jack thought back to all the previous ones. The first one, little Bella was a tiny baby, only a few months old. She woke them up several times during the night with her cries. The next year, she was a little older, but somehow still managed to wake up in the dead of night. When Bella was two, she got sick on Christmas Eve, and Jack and Katherine took turns staying up all night with her, wiping the little girl's forehead with a cloth. This year, Jack hoped, would be the romantic one. He wanted to spend this Christmas with Katherine.

Jack watched the clock on the mantle. At ten o'clock, he shifted. "Hey, my beauty. Two more hours til Christmas. Think that requires a kiss?"

Katherine sighed contentedly. "Hmm…maybe…" Jack slowly leaned towards her and his soft lips met hers. They wrapped their arms around each other until they were so close he could feel her heartbeat. He wanted to stay like that forever, just kissing in the candlelight on Christmas Eve…

"Daddy?"

Jack and Katherine broke apart quickly. Bella was standing in the doorway of the bedroom, peeking out. Jack sighed and gave Katherine a little smile. There was absolutely no escaping that little girl.

"What do ya need, sweetie?"

"Daddy, will Santa be here soon?"

Jack saw Katherine cross her arms and give a little snort. He looked into Bella's deep brown eyes, so much like his wife's.

"Sure he will. But he ain't gonna get here unless you get yourself to bed."

Bella ignored the last comment, running over and hopping in his lap, dragging her blanket. "Tell me a story!" She snuggled into him and he couldn't help but smile at his daughter. Katherine reached over and took her blanket, then laid it over the little girl.

Jack stroked her hair. "Did I ever tell you about Santa Fe?" Katherine rolled her eyes but smiled.

"Is that where Santa lives?"

Jack chuckled. "Maybe. It's a real nice place. The people there is all nice."

"What does it look like?" Bella murmured.

"Well, it's real warm there, to start it all off. And the air's much better than here in stinky old New York."

"I thought you liked it here, Daddy."

"Course I do! But don't you think Santa Fe would be a fun change?"

Katherine cleared her throat. "Bella, your daddy's just telling you a story. He's never even been there."

Bella opened her eyes and looked up into Jack's searchingly. "So it ain't real?"

"Isn't," Katherine corrected. She was trying to stop Belle from picking up her father's bad grammar habits.

Jack gave Katherine a little kick. "Hey. You'se ruining my story." He looked down at Bella. "Santa Fe's about as real as Santa Clause."

"So it's real," Bella whispered to herself, snuggling back into Jack's body.

"Sure it is. The moon there is so bright, that even nighttime is bright. They sit around the fire and tell stories every night. And all day, they's riding palominos. That's like a real pretty horse," he added, knowing Bella would ask. "Santa Fe's way out west. And it's real green. It's…a city outta clay," he said softly, remembering long-ago words.

"And that's where Santa lives," whispered Bella.

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><p><strong>And there we go! There will be more to come. By the way, I'm looking for some more story suggestions, so let me know if you've got one. Anyways, the next chapter of this should be up soon!<strong>

**-Sis21K**


	2. Chapter 2

Bella was soon sound asleep. Jack gently picked her up and carried her back into the bedroom. It was almost midnight. "We gotta get the presents ready. You made sure and wrote out a note 'from Santa' on that dolly?"

Katherine groaned. "Yes, Jack. You've asked me about a thousand times."

"Okay, okay. Just checkin'."

They quietly set the few presents under the tree, and then sat back down on the couch. Jack blew out a couple of the candles that were dripping. Outside the window, snow had begun to fall, like tiny stars drifting down from the black sky. "Maybe we can take Bella sleddin' tomorrow," Jack whispered.

Katherine was nodding off against his shoulder and probably didn't realize what she was agreeing to. "Mmm-hmm…"

Jack grinned. "And we can build a big snow fort in the park…"

"Yep…"

"And have an all-out snowball fight…"

"Yeah…"

Jack laughed and gently shook Katherine awake. "Wake up, Ace. You just agreed to let me throw my monster snowballs at your precious angel."

Katherine rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Wha…what?"

"Never mind." He got up and stretched. "Guess you'll find out tomorrow."

Katherine was really awake now. "What? Jack, tell me!"

"Shh…"

Katherine stood up as well, glaring at him with her hands on her hips. Jack took his chance and gave her a quick peck on the lips. She spluttered, "You—are—impossible!"

Just then, a booming ring came from a nearby church. In the soft rings muffled by falling snow, the couple stared at each other, each silently counting. At the twelfth _dong, _a grin crept onto Jack's face. "Merry Christmas," he whispered, and they embraced for a long kiss.

After a moment, Katherine broke away. "Oh!" she said, "I've got a present for you."

"So do I."

"Oh, Jack, you really didn't have to…"

"Yeah, I did. I'd be a pretty lousy husband if I didn't."

"And I'd be a pretty lousy wife," Katherine said. They each went off to get each other's gifts. Jack had hidden his present for Katherine in the only place she would never look—in the drawer where he kept his paper and pencils for drawing. He had been so adamant when they'd first moved in that she stay out of that drawer that she cast him a guilty look even if she was just dusting around it. Katherine had evidently hidden his gift in with the pots and pans—there was a lot of crashing and banging coming from the kitchen. Now he'd know where to look next year.

They both returned to the living room at the same time, and sat down across from each other on the couch. "Exchange," Jack instructed, and Katherine handed over the package, wrapped in newspaper. Jack had wrapped his gift for her in drawings he'd made that hadn't turned out quite how he'd pictured. Katherine turned it over in her hands. "Jack, why waste these on me? They're all gorgeous!"

Jack shrugged. "Eh," he said noncommittally. "Okay, ready?"

"Whenever you are."

"One, two, three."

The sound of crinkling paper filled the room. Katherine gasped. "Oh, Jack! You shouldn't have! This must have cost a fortune!" She was holding up a beautiful golden necklace, on the end of which hung a tiny bright red jewel carved in the shape of a heart.

"Anything for you, Ace," he said absently, still tearing away at the newspaper. "Jeez, how many layers did you put on here?"

Katherine smiled smugly. "Enough."

"More than enough, I'd say," Jack muttered. Finally, he reached the end of the wrappings and his jaw dropped. It was a long, thin box, and he didn't even have to look at the words printed on it to know what was inside. He was speechless, for once. It was a pack of six luxurious charcoal pencils, the most expensive kind there were in the stores. They were always on display, and Jack had been trying to save up for them for months, finally giving up only a few weeks ago because he'd thought it was hopeless. He opened his mouth to speak, but Katherine cut him off.

"Shush! Puh-lease, every time we walk by that store, I see you slow down and just stare in the window at them. It's practically the only thing you think about."

"Not true," he objected. "I think about lots of stuff!"

She snorted. "Hah! Yeah right. Your _job_ is to draw well. So I thought, hey. Maybe these will help you get a little extra cash, you know?"

"You better hope so. We're gonna need it now. You know how much these things cost?"

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Um. I paid for them. Of course I know how much they cost."

Jack leaned back on the couch and groaned. "We're gonna be scroungin' for scraps for weeks," he said faintly.

"Oh, get a grip. You're acting like we don't have any cushion money. We'll be fine."

Jack finally got the courage to open the package. Six wooden pencils, with tips as black as night. He ran one against his finger, and a line of charcoal was left behind. Suddenly his fingers were itching to draw, and he quickly slid them back into the box. "You ready to go to bed?" he asked distractedly.

Katherine grinned. "You can't fool me. You're just going to sit and draw, aren't you?" Jack huffed. It was pretty obvious. "You're welcome," she said sweetly, kissing him on the cheek and carrying her necklace back into the bedroom.

She was just closing the door when he found his voice. "Oh, yeah. Hey Ace!" Katherine poked her head out. Jack grinned sheepishly. "Thanks."

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><p>Jack blew out all but one of the candles, which he took into the bedroom along with his brand new pencils. His heart was hammering with joy and anticipation against his ribs. Katherine was lying on the bed, her back to him. He sat at his desk, which was rarely used. He liked to draw in…other places. A desk just felt too structured. Tonight he planned to sit in the living room and draw by the lights of the city. But first he needed some paper. As Jack banged open the drawers, Katherine groaned from the bed. "You're not going to draw in here, are you?"<p>

"Nope. Good-night."

"Mmm-hmm…"

Soon Jack was sitting by the window, and he blew out the flickering candle, knowing perfectly well he'd regret it later. For now, the city's lights were enough for him.

The first scratch he made with a new pencil was heavenly. He immediately began sketching out a face. The pencils were glorious. They made such smooth, dark lines, and it was easier to do shadows on the page. Within a few minutes, he'd finished a masterpiece. It was his beautiful daughter, curls framing her tiny face, and eyes seeming to glow. He held it up, satisfied, and crawled over to the tree. It was laid on top of her largest present.

Bella loved her father's drawings of her. Sometimes she would pull on his shirt in the evenings, squealing, "Draw me! Draw me!" He almost always obliged. Then the little girl, normally a bundle of energy, would sit very still on the sofa, as Jack humored her by drawing whatever position she happened to strike. Of course, he could draw her even when she wasn't there, because she was always on his mind. Bella would be delighted with the new portrait.

Next Jack contemplated a blank sheet of paper. He knew who he was going to draw next. As his pencil scratched faintly on the paper, a very familiar face quickly took shape. He drew Katherine all the time. Most of the drawings he never showed to her, because she'd probably be embarrassed. But this one he would give to her, as a thank-you for the pencils he was sure they couldn't afford. He put the final touches on her hair, then hesitated. He stuck the drawing behind the sofa, just in case she woke up before he did. He wanted to hand it to her personally.

Finally he went to bed and threw an arm over Katherine. His thoughts were rushing forward to later that day. His best friend in the world was joining them for dinner. Hopefully Katherine would let him take Bella to the park. It was going to be a great Christmas.

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><p><strong>I hope this was cute enough for you. The next chapter should be up probably later today, if I'm lucky. By the way, Happy Thanksgiving! I want to thank MusicAngel98 for reviewing...and...stuff. ;) Don't for get to R&amp;R! I will be extra thankful if you do!<strong>

**-Sis21K**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, I guess this took me a little longer than expected to have up. Oh, well. So this is becoming centered a little more around Bella, because if you've ever had a little kid in the house, you'll know they're very snoopy. **

**After this, there will probably be two-ish chapters left. I mean, Christmas Day is only a day. After that, I was thinking of doing one about the new Refuge that Crutchie mentions in this chapter-okay, I won't spoil anymore. Enjoy.**

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><p>"Daddy! Daddy! Wake up! It's Christmas!"<p>

Jack groaned and rolled over. "Bella-boo, do you even know what time it is?"

"Time to get up!" she chirped, and raced out to the living room.

Katherine was already up, making a grand breakfast. Jack could already smell it. Something…sweet. He threw back the covers just as Bella squealed, "Daddy! Santa came!"

Jack grinned and ran his fingers through his hair as he went out to the living room. "Yeah, looks like he did."

Bella was already tearing into the gifts. "Woah, slow down. Did you even check to see who that one's from?" he asked mischievously.

Bella frowned, turning over the paper. "There!" she exclaimed triumphantly, pointing at the writing.

"You know what it says?" Jack asked, bending down. Bella shook her head. "It says, 'From Santa'."

Bella gasped, and finished tearing the paper off her new doll. "All the way from Santa Fe!" she said, hugging the doll close. Jack heard Katherine groan from the kitchen.

"Hey, you still got two presents to open!" Jack said, poking Bella, who promptly dropped the doll and crawled over to the biggest one. "One from me and one from your Mama."

"This is from you!" she announced, holding up the picture he'd drawn with a huge smile, before pouncing on the gift. It was a big trash-can lid that Jack had hammered into an oval shape. "A sled!" she yelped.

"What do you say, Bella?" Katherine called from the kitchen.

"Hooray!" Bella replied.

"No." Katherine came into the room. Jack noticed she was wearing the gold necklace he'd given her. "Say thank you."

"Thank you!" Bella repeated.

Her present from Katherine was a bow for her hair. "Thank you, Mama!" she said, rushing into the kitchen to have Katherine fix it in her hair.

Once the excitement of opening presents was over, Bella settled herself on the couch next to Jack, hugging her doll. Katherine soon came in with breakfast, and they sat together, a family. Jack saw Katherine keep glancing at the mess of food that Bella kept dropping on the couch but didn't say anything. He knew that couch would be getting a good scrubbing before Crutchie showed up.

When Bella ran off to choose her dress for the day, Jack seized his chance and reached behind the couch. "Drew this for you last night," he said, handing her the portrait.

Katherine gasped, taking in the professional strokes that made up her face on the page. "It's…incredible."

"I had to repay you somehow," Jack said. "Them pencils weren't cheap."

Katherine was silent, just taking in the beauty of the picture.

"And I did say I would use 'em well," he said. "Didn't I?"

Katherine leaned forward, and their lips touched. The picture fell to the floor, and they were lost in each other. Jack felt like this could go on and on and…

"Ew!"

Jack and Katherine quickly broke apart to see Bella standing a few feet away, looking absolutely repulsed. They glanced at each other, trying to hold back laughter. "Bella, get lost," Jack finally got out, tossing her the doll. Katherine glared at him. Bella gave him a reproachful look before sulking back into the bedroom.

As soon as the door slammed shut, Katherine turned to him, ready to start getting angry. "Shh…it's Christmas," he said, silencing her disapproval by kissing her again.

Finally Katherine pushed him away. "Crutchie's going to be here soon," she said, standing up. "Bella! Come out of there!"

Jack stood up and started carrying their breakfast plates out. An obstinate "No!" came from the bedroom.

Jack handed the dishes to Katherine and went to get Bella. "Hey, little girl," he called, knocking. "Crutchie's gonna be here soon. Don't you want to help Mama set the table?"

"No!"

Jack sighed and opened the door. Bella was lying on her little bed in the corner, curled up in a ball. He went over to her. "Hey. What's going on?" Bella pushed him away. "Is it 'cause I told you to get lost?" Her silence was enough of an answer. "Bella, hon, Mama and I were just having a…a _moment_. You know? You can't just walk in on someone when they're having a _moment_."

"Well, I'se havin' a moment. Go away."

Jack almost laughed aloud at her retort. "You'se pretty clever, kid."

"Go away."

"Nope. I'm staying here."

Bella huffed angrily and swiped at him with her fist. "Hey!" Jack frowned and caught her tiny hand. "No hitting."

There was a knock on the apartment door. "Come in!" Katherine yelled.

"Come on, let's go have a good Christmas, okay, baby? Can I have a hug?"

Bella hesitated, then sat up and wrapped her small arms around him. Then she ran ahead of him and yelled, "Crutchie!"

Jack smiled at her quick willingness to forgive and followed her out. Bella had crashed right into Crutchie, who hopped backwards and laughed. "Hey, Bella." He caught sight of Jack and his eyes lit up. "Jackie!"

The two old friends embraced, then Jack stood back to look Crutchie over. "You got a new crutch," he observed. "You cut your hair."

"You tryin' to grow a beard or something?" Crutchie teased him. Jack rubbed his stubble and grinned. "Nah, just been too busy to shave."

Jack led Crutchie into the living room and shooed Bella out. "Go help Mama," he said. She happily scurried off, and Jack turned to Crutchie.

"So, Crutch. How's life?"

"Great, Jack. Just great."

"What's going on?"

Crutchie paused, seeming to bubble over in excitement. "Well…I found a goil."

Jack choked. "What?"

"A goil, Jack. A goil. Ya know, the sweet sort of—"

"Yeah, I _know_ what a goil is!" Jack interrupted impatiently.

Crutchie grinned. "I bet you didn't think I could do it."

Jack quickly assured him that he had always had faith that Crutchie could do it.

"Whatever. I betcha you thought I was gonna be a loner." Crutchie puffed out his chest. "Well, not anymore, old pal. This fella's got a love life. What do ya think of that?"

"Crutchie, this is great!" Jack settled in and nudged him. "Well, what are you waiting for? What's her name? How'd you meet her? What's she like?"

"Woah, slow down there, Jackie. All in good time." Crutchie grinned again. "Well, her name is Violet, and she's beautiful," he breathed. "We met at the Refuge. She started workin' there a short time after me." Jack still shuddered at the name, but the place he'd associated with torment had become any other poor kid's heaven.

After Snider had been locked up, the refuge had been made into an orphanage of sorts. There was still a section for kids who were getting into trouble, but mostly it was a place for children who had nowhere else to go. Instead of re-instituting Snider's cruel methods, workers at the Refuge now played with the kids, gave them plenty of food and kept the place clean. The kids brought there for stealing, fighting, vandalism, and the like, were also given food and shelter. The adults worked with the kids to help them get their lives back in order. Some of them ended up moving over to the orphanage section, others were released back on the street. Almost no one ended back up there again. Crutchie had been part of the force working to turn the Refuge around, and now he counseled the troublesome kids there.

"And?" Jack was impatient.

"And, I asked her to go to a ballet with me a few weeks later. She said yes, and, as they say, the rest is history!"

"Wait. You're getting married?"

"Well, no Jack. Not quite there yet. But we'se still together, that's a good thing, eh?"

"How long have you been—"

"Two weeks, six days," Crutchie said dreamily. Jack snickered. "What?"

"I hate to break it to you, Crutch, but that ain't long at all."

"Longer than I've ever been with anyone," Crutchie retorted, seeming abashed.

"True," Jack agreed, deciding not to push it. "So, tell me. What's this Violet goil like?"

"She's got long, dark hair, blue eyes, and a pretty smile," Crutchie rattled off. "She's real good with the kids, they all love her. She was a little shy with me at first, but once I gave her some of my charm she opened right up." Jack snorted; Crutchie ignored him. "And, it don't even seem to matter to her that I got a bum leg!" he added.

"Hey, how is that leg, by the way?" Jack asked quietly.

Crutchie rolled his eyes. "You and Katherine got some kind of mind connections or somethin'? That's the first thing she asked me when I walked in." Jack raised his eyebrows expectantly. "It's _fine_. _Fine,_ Jack. Jeez, when are you gonna forget about it?"

"Probably never," Jack said seriously.

"Boy, you can be such a—"

Suddenly Bella burst in. "Mama said to come bother you now," she declared, hoisting herself next to Crutchie. She ran her fingers along the crutch, which was laying against the couch. Jack, so in-tune to his friend, noticed that Crutchie winced ever so slightly when Bella plopped down, almost on top of him. The wince was so small, almost unnoticeable. But Jack wasn't going to have any of that 'it's fine' nonsense. He knew Crutchie's leg still hurt him, sometimes even worse than it had in the past.

"Bella, get off him," he said sharply. Crutchie started to protest, but Jack quickly added, "Come sit between us, so you ain't leaning so much on his leg, all right?"

"I'm fine, Jack! Bella, you can sit wherever you want!" groaned Crutchie.

Bella, not wanting to be disagreeable to either of them, sat between them but leaned heavily against Crutchie's good side. Wanting to make it up to her guest even more, she frowned at Jack. "It's 'aren't', not 'ain't'."

"Whatever you say, sweetie pie," Jack chuckled.

"Speaking of pie, time to eat!" called Katherine from the kitchen.

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><p><strong>So, what did you think? So, as I was saying at the beginning, I think I'm going to do a story about Crutchie's work in the new Refuge. That could possibly mean OC galore. Does that sound like an interesting read? I don't know. You tell me!<strong>

**As always, R&R. The next chapter should be up...soon. (How's that for vague?)**

**-Sis21K**


	4. Chapter 4

**Wow, this story is going really fast. December has barely started and I'm already finishing up this Christmas story! Well, I hope you've been enjoying it. I want to thank everyone who's reviewed-every single one makes me smile, no matter what.**

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><p>Katherine had made a delicious meal that everyone wolfed down so quickly there was almost no conversation, just the sound of chewing mouths and scraping silverware.<p>

Finally Jack leaned back in his chair. "Mmm…" he groaned, rubbing his stomach, "That was the most delicious meal you've ever made, Ace." Katherine rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, it was real good, Katherine," Crutchie agreed. "Thanks for having me over."

"No problem, Crutchie," Katherine said. But as Crutchie rose from his place and started carrying his dishes back to the sink, she frowned. "You aren't leaving already?"

"Yeah, I gotta get back to the Refuge. They're gonna need all the help they can get, handing out Christmas presents and all. Oh! I almost forgot." He limped over to his coat and reached into the pockets. "Gifts for you."

"Oh, Crutchie, you didn't have to. We didn't even get you—"

Jack jumped up. "Yes, we did," he interrupted Katherine. As Crutchie passed out lumpy packages, Jack ran to the bedroom and pulled out another package from his desk drawer. He'd figured Crutchie would pull something like this, and he wanted to be prepared.

The two friends exchanged gifts, and the room was silent but for the tearing open of newspaper. Bella was the first to open hers. "Another dolly!" she exclaimed.

"Oh, how beautiful," said Katherine, holding a small pot at arm's length.

Laughs burst from both Crutchie and Jack as the paper fell to the floor. Jack held a green cap in his hand; Crutchie had an identical blue one. Katherine raised an eyebrow. "Did you two really buy each other the _exact same hats_?" she asked, but they were laughing too hard to respond. Crutchie banged his fist against his knee, and Jack was leaning on the wall for support. Bella, not really understanding what was so funny, also started giggling.

Eventually Jack stood up, wiped a tear from his eye, and grinned. "Now who's got mind connections?" he asked.

Crutchie left, his new cap on his head, and called to Jack, "Don't forget to visit me, old pal!" as he closed the door.

Jack helped Katherine clean the kitchen, exchanging quick kisses now and then as they brushed past each other. Snow had begun to fall again. "Are you going to take Bella sledding?" Katherine asked.

"I thought you'd never ask."

"I think I'll come too, to keep you two out of trouble."

Jack crept into the living room, where he discovered Bella fast asleep on the couch, a doll in each hand. "Hey, little girl," he whispered in her ear. "Are you ready to go sledding?"

Bella stumbled, still half asleep, to Katherine, who dressed her in warm clothes. Jack checked the sled, making sure the string he'd attached was still strong. Then they headed down to the park, a short distance away. There was almost no one around. Katherine sat on a bench at the top of a hill after brushing the snow off of it.

Jack could barely fit on the tiny sled, so he ended up setting Bella on his lap as they slid down the icy slope. Bella squealed in delight. "Pull me!" she demanded as soon as they spun to a stop, and Jack trudged back up the hill with the sled in tow. Soon Bella was brave enough to go on her own, and Jack jogged down the hill beside her, so he could pull her uphill again. Each time he reached the top, he smiled at Katherine, admiring how beautiful she looked sitting on that park bench. Her shining hair fell to her shoulders in thick waves. Her eyes seemed to sparkle, and snowflakes settled on her long eyelashes. Everything about her was perfect to him. Once, out of breath, he told Bella to go on her own, and sat down beside Katherine and kissed her, the gentle snowflakes falling all around them. A distant call came from the bottom of the hill. "Pull me!"

Jack broke away long enough to yell back, "Pull yourself this time, sweetie!" before letting himself be lost in her beautiful lips again.

Bella didn't disturb them after that, just giggled whenever she got to the top of the hill before sledding down again. Katherine finally rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. Jack kept watching Bella, huffing and puffing up the hill for those few seconds of exhilaration on the way down. His eyes became unfocused, and it didn't register for a while when Bella reached the bottom of the hill and didn't get up.

Jack blinked. He squinted at the tiny figure at the bottom of the hill. "Bella?" he shouted. There was no answering call. He leapt up and sprinted down the hill, nearly tripping over his feet. "Bella!" Near the bottom he really did trip, and tumbled right beside his daughter. "Hey! Bella! What's wrong, sweetie?"

Bella raised her head, revealing a tear-stained face and a runny nose. "Daddy!" she wept, throwing herself on him. Jack hugged her tightly, still unsure what had happened. He looked around. Katherine was stumbling down the hill, looking terrified. There was the sled…Bella's little footprints…pristine white snow…Jack gulped. There was a spot of blood, seeping into the snow.

"What in heaven's name…!" Katherine had finally reached them. She spotted the blood much faster than Jack, and picked Bella up. "Did you cut yourself?" she asked breathlessly. Bella held out her hand, which had a long cut across the back, no longer bleeding, but very red. She buried her face in her mother's coat.

Jack picked up the sled. "Time to go home," he said quietly. "Come on, Bella. You'll be fine."

The family tramped through the snow back to the apartment. Bella sniffed and wriggled to get down, so she walked between them. When they got home, Katherine bandaged Bella's hand and put her down for a nap, while Jack examined the sled to see if there was a sharp edge that had cut Bella. He found it; near the front along the rim. "I'll fix it later," he said, when Katherine asked. She started to prepare leftovers as suppertime drew near, and Jack fell asleep on the couch, gazing at their tree. Katherine smirked when she saw him, and lay down beside him. He shifted and his arm fell on top of her. She grinned, and soon her eyes closed as well. By the time they awoke, it was dark outside.

"Should we get Bella up for supper?" Katherine murmured.

Jack kissed her gently on the forehead. "Just a few more minutes…"

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><p><strong>Well, that was a little dramatic. Seriously, I did NOT plan for Bella to get hurt. It literally just happened as I was writing, and suddenly there was blood in the snow. What have I done?! That darn author in me is really mean sometimes. Just to clarify,<em> Bella is okay now.<em>**

**There will be one more chapter in this, and then I'll get started on that other one I was talking about. I know I update really fast, which is kind of annoying sometimes because it takes away the suspense for you. Oops. So let's say, the last (short) chapter will be up on...Tuesday. We'll see if I can manage it. Again, thanks for the reviews, they really brighten my day!**

**-Sis21K**


	5. Chapter 5

**Last chapter!**

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><p>Later that evening, when Bella was in bed and Katherine had cleaned the apartment to her satisfaction, Jack lit the candles again.<p>

He did it slowly this time, with Katherine watching sleepily from the couch. After he lit the first one and shook out the match, he turned to her. "I've got a proposal for you."

"You already proposed to me," she yawned. "Three years ago."

"I think you'll like it," Jack continued, ignoring her. "A kiss for each candle. How about it?"

Katherine smiled. "Sounds…illuminating."

He kissed her nose. "That's the first one."

"Just don't start anything on fire."

"Are you doubtin' my ability to light a couple candles?"

"No, I'm doubting your ability to light a couple candles while you kiss me."

"Hah." Jack went back to lighting candles, swooping over for a kiss each time. Sometimes it was a quick peck, other times they held it for as long as they could.

There were twenty-three candles in all; twenty-three tiny flames, twenty-three heavenly kisses. Jack counted. Each was special in its own way.

He finally sat down next to Katherine, and their shadows flickered against the wall.

"It was a great Christmas," Katherine said.

"Yeah, it really was."

"Do you think Bella's hand will be all right?"

Jack nodded. "She's a tough little girl."

"Just like you," Katherine said, poking his chest.

"You calling me a little girl?"

Katherine laughed. "Maybe." Jack turned, ready to pounce. "All right! All right," Katherine screeched, hands up in surrender. "Fine, I'm just calling you tough."

Jack laughed too and settled back down on the couch. "That little cut wasn't very deep, anyways."

"I'm just worried that the metal might have gotten into her bloodstream. I've heard of things like that happening; it gets all infected and swollen, spreading throughout the entire limb until—"

"Hey." Jack cut her off gently. "Stop worrying. That ain't gonna happen to our girl. It's Christmas. No worrying on Christmas."

"You know what we forgot this year?" Katherine asked, changing the subject.

"What?"

"Mistletoe."

"Ah." There was silence. "That don't mean we can't kiss."

"I know." Jack waited. "But not right now. For now, just hold me."

Jack wrapped his arms around her. "I can do that," he whispered.

The last hours of their third Christmas slowly ticked away. They drifted in and out of sleep, holding each other on the couch. When the nearby church clock struck midnight, it woke them both. Katherine shifted slightly as Jack stretched. After the last of the ringing died away, Jack glanced at her, blinking.

Katherine gasped slightly. "The candles are still burning," she whispered, inches away from his lips.

Jack chuckled. "Indeed." He leaned in for another kiss, but Katherine turned her head.

"Jack, we could have burned this place down! This is about the most dangerous thing ever. All these candles—who knows how many—"

"Twenty-three."

"—just sitting there, for hours, while we were sleeping. Look at everything that could have started on fire! What if we'd woken up surrounded by fire, with no way to reach Bella…"

"You worry too much these days," Jack whispered, though he stood up to extinguish the candles. He blew them out softly, and smoke filled the air, making both of them cough. Jack went into the kitchen to get a glass of water, and returned to find Katherine dozing on the couch again. He grinned mischievously and hurried back to the kitchen, browsing through the cupboards as quietly as he could. He found what he was looking for—a bunch of slightly dry herbs—and using some string managed to hang them on the door to their bedroom. He snuck back and woke Katherine.

"Time for bed, Ace," he whispered, leading her to the bedroom. She groaned and yawned, stumbling after him.

He feigned surprise when they reached the door. "Why, would you look at that! Looks like mistletoe!"

Katherine crossed her arms. "Um, actually that looks like parsley, Jack."

"Hey! Stop ruining the moment!" He wrapped his arms around her waist. "It's mistletoe and we'se gonna kiss under it whether you like it or not."

"Whatever, Jack." But she gave in.

They kissed under the mistletoe. Parsley. It doesn't matter. The point is, they kissed, and it was wonderful. The last magic of Christmas swirled away during that kiss, to disappear until next year.

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><p><strong>Well, that's the end! I hoped you all enjoyed it. Thanks for sticking with it.<strong>

**Also, look for this in MusicAngel98's "Introducing Fanfiction"!**

**I'm working on a new story I mentioned previously, so also keep an eye out for that. It will be longer than this, and hopefully it gets just as great a response!**

**Merry (early) Christmas!**

**-Sis21K**


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